If your Thanksgiving is anything like mine, you have all sorts of family and friends around with as much variety in food as you have in people. Everything from turkey to dessert. So how do you eat everything you want to, or feel obligated to eat, without the major indigestion and bloating? We asked Veronica James (Dr. James’ wife) these questions and here is what she said: “Eating all those foods in one sitting can create a lot of indigestion. By keeping STARCHES and PROTEINS separate, eating lots of foods from the NEUTRAL category and watching your portions you can avoid a lot of digestive issues.’ for info about combining watch this video

The easiest way to enjoy eating in proper combinations this Thanksgiving without drawing attention to yourself is to recognize the categories. I like to begin with the Neutral category because everything compliments it and it aids in the digestion of the other categories. I also think of my plate being divided into thirds… 

NEUTRAL: Veggies, olives, green salads, sweet potato, yams.

STARCH: Stuffing without giblets, potatoes (all but sweet), breads…

PROTEIN: Meats, cheeses…

So my plate might look like this… 2/3 corn, green beans, yams and carrot sticks; 1/3 stuffing, potatoes, gravy & a bread roll. After I’ve taken my time enjoying this, and visiting with family for an hour or so, I might mosey over and take a portion of turkey or ham and anything from the NEUTRAL category. This way my STARCHES are already happily on their way to digestion, and the PROTEINS won’t cause a problem.

• Pumpkin pie with nut crust or sprouted flour crust (this is NEUTRAL and can be eaten with STARCHES or PROTEIN).

• pumpkin and pudding pies with a traditional flour crust are STARCH; as are cakes and cookies.

• Fruit pies & fruit salad are best eaten alone.

GRAVY:
This deserves its own note because it can be made so many ways. The method to make perfect gravy is shown here.

Now you just need to decide the category you want it in (if you’re the cook).

• NEUTRAL (can be eaten with anything): Made with sprouted flour, and nut milk, water or strained turkey drippings.

• STARCH: Made with your choice of flour, and nut milk, raw milk, water, or strained turkey drippings.

• PROTEIN: Made with sprouted flour and strained turkey drippings with or without giblets.

• For traditional pie crusts, make them with sprouted flour because it is neutral.

• Pumpkin pie if made with nut crust or sprouted flour crust, is digested as if it were a vegetable, and can be enjoyed as a neutral. 

• Pudding or custard pies with no flour (grain), become neutral if made with nut crust or sprouted flour crust.

• Stuffing/dressing use sprouted bread or grains and it will combine well with meats and digest easily.

By keeping your portions small your body can digest more easily so it is better to eat smaller amounts more often than to stuff yourself and not eat for the rest of the day. Even when you are combining correctly, over stuffing yourself can cause indigestion and discomfort. Spread your meal out by eating smaller amounts throughout the day.